CARROLLTON, Ga. -- Hayley Tierce hit a grand slam and went 4-for-5 at the plate, but it wasn't enough for the Georgia Southwestern State University softball team as they dropped a nonconference doubleheader at West Georgia Wednesday by scores of 14-13 and 8-0.
Tierce now has four home runs to go along with eight RBIs while hitting .700 in four games this week.
GSW fell to 11-18 overall this spring while West Georgia improved to 17-9.
How It Happened:
Game 1: Georgia Southwestern 13 West Georgia 14
The Wolves jumped out to a big early lead by scoring six runs off GSW starting pitcher Shannon Gibson. The Lady Canes were able to cut into the lead in the third when Tierce scored on a fielder's choice and Gibson crossed the plate on a throwing error by the third baseman to make it 6-2.
UWG added three more in the home half of the third thanks to two hits and an error to make it a seven-run lead before GSW got one back on a single and an error to make it 9-3. The Wolves tacked on two in the bottom half of the fourth to take their biggest lead of the game at 11-3, but the Lady Canes weren't done.
Ansley Dean started an eight-run rally with a single through the left side scoring KayLynn Church and Mikela Barlow followed with an RBI single to left that brought home Cassidy Burton. Tierce came to the plate next and cleared the bases with her 11th home run of the season to make it an 11-9 game. After a Lauren Kuerzi single Elizabeth Wills hit her sixth homer of the spring, a 2-run bomb over the fence in right to tie the game at 11.
West Georgia answered right away in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring two runs on two hits and another GSW error. The Lady Canes had another comeback in them, however, thanks to RBI singles from Wills and Gibson to knot the game at 13 after 5.5 innings. The game was tied into the bottom of the seventh before a Mallory Walker walk-off single gave UWG the 14-13 win.
Brittany Childs took the loss for GSW after giving up one earned run in 1 ⅓ innings pitched. Gibson lasted just ⅓ of an inning, giving up six earned runs on three hits while issuing two walks and hitting a batter. Madason Messer went 4 ⅔ innings allowing seven runs on seven hits, but just two of the runs were earned.
Ansley Dean went 2-for-5 with an RBI in her second game in the leadoff spot. Lauren Kuerzi had three hits in four at bats and Elizabeth Wills went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Game 2: Georgia Southwestern 0 West Georgia 8
UWG scored early and often again, plating two in the first inning and four in the second to take a 6-0 lead after two complete. KayLynn Church started the game and lasted an inning, giving up five runs (four earned) before being replaced by Ansley Dean with no outs in the second.
The Lady Canes weren't able to get anything going against Wolves starter Katie Foote, combining for just four hits in six innings as a team after tallying 17 hits in the first game.
Dean gave up eight hits in four innings from the circle, but allowed just a single run in the second, fourth and sixth innings. She doubled to leadoff the game, recording the only GSW extra base hit in the six inning run-rule shortened contest.
Tierce, Wills and Chloe Zoeller all singled for the Lady Canes.
Up Next: GSW returns to Lady Canes Field for two weekend Peach Belt Conference doubleheaders. USC Aiken visits Americus on Saturday and Lander will come to town Sunday. Games will start at 1:00 p.m. each day with the second game to follow 20 minutes after completion.